You name it –I have lost it! That is the story of my life. If it is not my keys, it is my phone. If it is not my phone, then it is a gift I bought early and hid for “safe-keeping.” Careless? Maybe. Distracted? Definitely. Frazzled? Yes, that is the word I am looking for! Lost-n-Frazzled! I am still looking for a purchase I made for Christmas!
Have you ever lost something you considered priceless? I have. It was not priceless monetarily, but it was in sentiment.
I lost my Mother’s solitaire diamond ring. She had given it to me before she passed away. From then on, I always wore the ring that she had worn daily. It was my comfort. It was a tangible memory of her as if I had a piece of her with me. I not only lost her ring once, but I lost it twice! Both times my search to find it was extremely fervent. I had prayed earnestly for the ring to be found so, I am thankful to say that the Lord revealed its location to me both times –but only after a prolonged time of looking in every nook and cranny of the house. It is amazing how much cleaning-out you accomplish when you are consumed with finding a lost treasure.
In this devotion, we are going to look at a story that shows how precious you are to God. He created you, redeemed you, calls you by name, protects and comforts you. You are precious in His sight, honored, and loved for all eternity! (Isaiah 43:4)
In Luke 15, Jesus used three parables to express how much He loves His people. Today we will focus on the parable of the Woman and the Lost Coin. Christ presented this scenario in three brief verses: Luke 15:8-10
“Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 “When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I had lost! ’10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
We can imagine the heart of this woman skipping a beat and her gasping with shock when she learns the coin is missing. Has she mislaid it or dropped it? This loss was enough to send her into a panic. Where could it be?
A typical house of that time had few small slits for windows or no windows at all so that there was little light. To search for the lost coin requires light, so a lamp would be lit, and the search was on. Out comes her broom, and carefully she begins a methodical and thorough cleaning. Across the dirt floor and under mats and pottery vessels, she searches. Nothing shows up. She goes back over the same area but from a changed perspective, the light from the lamp casting altered shades this time.
Just as she is about to end the second sweep, she sees a small gleam. There it is! The coin is found! Quickly she picks it up and blows away the dirt. Yes, she exclaims: “Thank you, Lord! I thought my treasured coin was gone, never to be found!”
She runs out of her house, calling to her neighbors: “Come, rejoice and party with me! The coin I lost has been found!” You can imagine the shared joy of her friends—thankful that she is no longer frazzled and that she still has all her valuable coins. Her mind relaxes, and calm returns. Life is once again not in a state of chaotic thought because what she believed to be lost has been found.
In this parable, we are the lost coin. We have been living in a fallen world and are lost in the darkness. Jesus, the Light of the world, searches for us with great determination. Nothing will stop Him. He initiates the search and does not stop until He picks us up out of the dirt and cleanses us totally. He grasps us tightly in His hand and proclaims He will never let us go! (My translation of John 10:29.)
So now, when I read The Parable of the Lost Coin, I read with a fresh understanding of how the lady in the story must have felt- both when her coin was lost and when she found it. However, the experience of losing my ring did not just give me a better understanding of this fictional character; it also gives me a better understanding of God. In Luke 19:10, Jesus says,
“For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.”
That is His mission statement, and He fulfilled it completely. He loves us so much that He was willing to leave the splendor of heaven and come to earth just to find me! Hallelujah! I rejoice in worship and praise!
Jesus rejoices, and the angels in Heaven rejoice when we repent and ask for a changed life that glorifies our Lord.
Prayer:
“Thank you, Jesus, for loving us and giving the gift of eternal life that is priceless treasure. Lord, we know that You are all we need. You gave everything for a restored relationship with us through Your grace and our repentance. Our prayer is that we will be diligent in helping others realize they are lost and hopeless without You. Help us to be the Light and show Your love for all. In the name of Jesus, Amen.”
Rebekah Marsh
Lean into Jesus MInistries
#rebekahmarshblogs